« Green Party Candidates Want ‘Green New Deal’ | Main | Preview of Civilians’ Atlantic Yards Musical In the Footprint at BHS »
October 29, 2010
Apple’s money renovates a Chicago subway station
2nd Ave. Sagas
by Benjamin Kabak
Steve Jobs & Co. have funded a nice station renovation in Chicago, while New York's transit riders have been jobbed by Bruce Ratner.
For a cost of $0 to the CTA, the North/Clybourn station in the city’s Near North Side area received a full overhaul. A private partner picked up the $4 million tab.
...In exchange for the advertising space inside the station, a right of first refusal should the CTA sell the naming rights and use of a nearby bus depot, Apple paid for the station renovation.
...All of this leads me to the same question I had when the project was first announced almost a year ago: When will the MTA hop on board with these types of partnerships? It’s true that the authority will append the Barclays Center name to the Atlantic/Pacific subway stop when the Nets’ new arena opens, and it’s true that Forest City Ratner is funding some transportation upgrades to that busy Brooklyn hub. But Ratner purchased the Vanderbilt Yards air rights well under market value. The least he could do is fund some transit upgrades.
Posted by eric at October 29, 2010 11:24 AM